Chennai| Pickleball, the city’s viral sport, thrives with more venues and players

Amitash says his life is now scheduled keeping in mind his pickleball game time in the evenings. 

“Three to four days a week, I get together with a large group to play and we have at least one court booked in advance for the month. I much prefer getting my cardio outdoors, and through a sport which pickleball has made possible,” says the Chennai-based actor, who has been playing sport all his life.

“We have over 10 great courts to pick from, and clubs in the city have been generous enough to add a pickleball court. The community might be small compared to cricket, but the tournaments are amazing … even for a spectator,” Amitash says. Having taken to the sport seriously in the last year, he now also has an endorsement deal with a company that manufactures pickleball gear.

Open up the Turf Town app and at least 15 pickleball courts in Chennai instantly show up. While the sport has seen a steady following post pandemic, the last year has seen the city take to the sport like never before.

One can now take their pick — from courts in malls such as Ice Water sports arena in Express Avenue and DoubleDribble at Ampa Skywalk, sporting facilities such as Huddle Up in Mahalingapuram, Pickleball Park in T Nagar, and K Square sports hub in Tiruvottiyur, and private courts in recreational clubs including Madras Club and Presidency Club.

Even the mere promise of the sport has begun to grab eyeballs — an upcoming real estate project in the city by Baashyaam constructions recently advertised that a pickleball court would be part of the facilities offered in its residential space. In big news for the pickleball community earlier this year, actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu was named the owner of the Chennai franchise of the World Pickleball League(WBPL).

“We estimate that the city will have five to 10 more courts in the next couple of months,” says Dr Kavya Somesh, a board member of the Tamil Nadu Pickleball Association. While the association’s first state tournament a few years ago had around 20 participants, this year’s tourney saw nearly 300 players participate. “This year was the first time we also opened up an under-10 category because of how the sport has picked up even among children,” she says. 

Much like any other sport that saw a slow start, early players in the city like Rohit Ahuja recalls how till around three years ago, the small community of players had to turn to school playgrounds to play the sport. 

Through the newly-started Chennai Talent’s Pickleball Academy which he founded along with Vimal Raj Jayachandran, Rohit says they have been coaching players of all age groups at DoubleDribble sports complex’s pickleball court at Ampa Skywalk mall. “We have seen a steady surge in the number of people who want to be coached, and with newer venues coming up, we plan to expand our operations,” says Rohit, who recently bagged a medal in the mixed doubles and men’s doubles categories at the Bangalore Masters pickleball tournament. 

Paddle up

The sport is steadily finding its way among all the other sporting facilities the city has to offer. At GUTS in Egmore, one court among its three badminton courts is soon to become a dedicated space for pickleball. “The height of the net has to be reduced to three feet and with a few other minor infrastructural changes, we will be good to go,” says Kishore Raj, a senior staff member.

When Ganesh Kumar started playing the sport a few years ago, he recalls the volleyball court of a school being the only available space. “We would measure and draw lines with chalk, and then play,” he says. He now runs K Square Sports Hub in Tiruvottiyur which has two dedicated outdoor pickleball courts. “The people playing are predominantly between the ages of 20 and 40 years, and many of them are switching over to pickleball from badminton,” he says. 

The sport being accessible to any age category and across fitness levels is a big draw, and has been instrumental in encouraging people to open up more facilities. Mahalingam Subramanian who owns Huddle Up in Mahalingapuram which opened around three months ago and has both a rooftop football turf and a pickleball court, says that he has a steady stream of regulars who enjoy the sport as a form of cardio exercise. “I however think it will take time to reach the staggering numbers and the interest badminton has. While pickleball has around 1,500 people in the city who play regularly, I estimate badminton has over 60,000,” he adds. 

The Ice Water Sports Arena at Express Avenue Mall which has three pickleball courts plays host to at least two tournaments every week. “EA wanted to be a pioneer in promoting this sport and the demand for the courts has increased exponentially over the last eight months, since the launch. Experiencing the overwhelming enthusiasm of the players, the mall plans to increase the number of courts to support pickleball further,” says Sumathy Mohan, chief financial officer.

While newer courts are being added to the city’s sporting landscape, existing badminton and tennis courts too are now being used for the ‘viral’ sport. Does this impact the game? “For me personally, the sport is best when played outdoors given that indoor surfaces might be tricky and the lack of wind is a factor. We also need different balls to play at outdoor and indoor courts,” explains Rohit. He is, however, quick to add that given the journey of the sport, this doesn’t matter too much in the initial stages. “Play anywhere, and there is so much the sport has to offer including the sense of community and interaction that one can enjoy,” he says. 

During a regular evening at Ice Water sports area, this camaraderie and enthusiasm is evident, with spirited games going on in all three courts. The players are a mix, from youngsters being coached to seasoned players volleying across the net with full focus. 

The sport has been the subject of countless sermons and opinion pieces from renowned athletes, writers, critics, and anyone else who has ever picked up the paddle. Is it merely a pastime for the elderly, or can it truly be considered exercise? 

“A singles game is quite draining, and pickleball as such requires a lot of skill and strategy,” Rohit says. And for Kevin Patel, who has been organising pickleball tournaments in the city, the sport, he says, has something for everyone. “There is no limit for a player here, to keep getting better. It is challenging, and equally fun, something we have all been coming back to repeatedly,” he says, of the charm pickleball holds over the sport’s growing legion of fans in the city.